Fastener-inserting machine



`June-1,1926. 1,586,553 P. R. GLASS FASTENER INSERTING MACHINE Fild Feb. 2. '1923 Patented June 1, 1926i.

, UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE..

I PEBLEY B. GLASS, QF WAYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ABSIGNOB TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, F PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

rAsTENEa-msanrma. Macrmm Application filed February 2, 1923. Serial No. 616,601'.

This invention relates to fastener-inserting machines and more particularly to the type comprising mechanism for inserting the fasteners in thin sheet material and a raceway for supplying the fasteners to said mechanism. The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in connection y'with a machine for setting lacing-hooks in shoe uppers, a machine of this same general organization being more fully shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,512,922, grantedl October 28, 1924, on my application.

Oneobject of this invention is to provide improved means for separating the leading hook in the raceway from the succeeding hooks and for advancing the leading hook into the path -of a transferrin member while -arresting the succeedlng hoo s.V Accordingly a feature of the invention consists in improved automatic means comprising a member formed and arranged to enter between the first and second hooks in the raceway and I to feed the first hook positively, though preferably by means of a yielding connectlon, into register with a transferring member. The qualification positively is not here used in thesense that implies rigidity but in i 4the sense that implies a definite action in contra-distinction to the more common type of hook separator that is more strictly an escapement and merely releases 4the leading 4hook which then depends upon the force o gravity to advance it from the point of separation to its objective sition in the path of a transferring mem er.

y Another object of the invention is to pro- 4videiimproved means for maintaining the Work against accidental' displacementv during vits periods of restby which the feeding steps are separated. The illustrated macl1ine,.like most hook-setting machines, comrises a hook-carrier for inserting the hooks into the work, said carrier having a plate portion adapted to occupy the throat of the hookbetween the head and the barrel portion.A This hook-carrier, after inserting a hook, is shifted laterally to -clear' the throat of the hook before it is retracted from the Work, and slides with more or less pressure on `the hookor on the workoronboth in cidenta-lly" to executing its throat-clearing movement., The frictional drag of the Hookcarrier Qntherwerk, as-'it' 'moves laterally .to

clear'the throat of the set hook has a tendency to 'displace the work, and although former practice has provided a presserfoot at the receiving-.side of the setting locality,

I have found that the work maybe held more securely by supplementing such presser-foot with one arranged to clamp the Work at the delivery side of the setting 1ocality.

A feature of the present invention therefore consists in a combination comprising work-supporting means andtwo coo erative devices arranged to coact with sai to clam the Work at opposite sides of the setting ocality. r

Still another feature of the invention conmeans sists in providinga presserfoot on the carrier of one, of the hook-setting tools insuch relation that the presser-foot is moved to and from operative position by said carrier.l

to use the said carrier to move the presserfoot to and'from the Work even if the pressf er-foot were mounted otherwise than on said carrier.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate the various features of the present. invention embodied in a preferredform and according to a preferred organizat1on Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in sec- 'tion of la fragment of a hook-setting machine, the several parts occupying their,

initial positions;

Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fi 1 showing the hook-engaging members'as aving comleted the clenching of a lacing-hook but heilgstill in engagement with the clenched Fig. 3 is a perspective view 'of the auxilf Siarv presser-foot; l

'Fg 4 is a top plan view partly in section of the delive the devices Per separating the hooks and transferring them to the hook-carrier;

1g' Y the parts iii-different positions;

-is a view similar to Fig 4 showing end of the hook raceway and Fig. 6 is a perspective view including the hook-carrier, the member for transferring the hooks thereto, `and the hook-separator and feeder;l and Y,

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the hookseparator and feeder. 1 v `To facilitate reference to my said Letters Patent I have used herein the same reference numerals that are used-therein t0 designate corresponding elements, and it is to be understood that the construction, general organization and operation of the machine are the same as in the patented construction excepting that the latter does not include thehook-separator and feeder or the auxiliary presser-foot hereinafter described and claimed.

The lacing-hooks gravitate on a raceway strip 6l from a supply hopper to a point nearly in register with the reciprocatory transferring member 69, the strip 461 being formed to occupy the throats of the hooks. A guard strip 66 is arranged to engage the barrel portions of the hooks to keep the hooks on the strip 61. The delivery end of the raceway is above the work and the hooks are therefore inserted right side up. Consequently, as the hooks reach the delivery end of the raceway their heads lie on the upper surface of the strip (il and their barrel portions are suspended under said stri 'llhe transferring member 69 transfers the hooks one by one to a hook-carrier 46 which is movable horizontally as may be seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5, and which is also movable vertically as maybe seen by reference to Figs. l and 2. The hook-carrier is arranged to slide horizontally in guides at the lower end of a plunger 48 and is provided with a stem 47 (Fig. 6) which extends through the plunger and has tongue-andgroove connection with a horizontally movable plunger 78. The tongues of this connection are provided by a plate portion v fastened to the stem 47 while the grooves are formed in a head at the forward end of the plunger 78. This construction is such that the hook-carrier 46 partakes of`horizontal reciprocation of the plunger 78 while the tongue-and-groove connection permits it also to partake of vertical reciprocation of the plunger 48 and to remain positively under control of both plungers at all times.

The raceway is so constructed, near its delivery end, as to impart an angle to the path of travel of the hooks. Consequently, since the hooks advance sidewise in approaching this angle it becomes possible for them to advance beak foremost from the angle to the hook-carrier46.V Furthermore, the abrupt change of direction afforded by the angle permits thev transferring member 69 to move in the saine direction as the hook yon which it acts, S0 that the impelling action of material.

of the transferring member may be a direct thrust in the direction of transfer. This angle in the raceway is shown in Fig. 4 and is formed by the upper edge and right hand edge of tlle strip 6l and by the comof 'the delivery portion of the raceway.

A. lacing-hook, 'having reached the aforesaid angle where it is indicated at 68 in Fig. 4, is supported in part by the end of the raceway strip 6l and in part by a displaceable supporting member 7l. The latter is arranged to oscillate on a pivot member 72 and is normally maintained by a light spring 73 in the position shown by Fig. 4, in which position it forms, in eifect, a short continuation of the raeway strip 61. When the parts are in the position shown by Fig. 4'the plate portion of the hook-carrier 46 is at the same level as the delivery end of the raceway but the hook-carrier is separated horizontally from the lrac'eway in consequence of having been moved laterally to clear the throat of the preceding clenched hook. The horizontally movable plunger 78 and the hook-transferring member 69 are interconnected to move in unison, but the connection is such that when one is moved to the Lrear the other moves to the front and vice versa. Consequently, when the transferring member 69 moves toward the hook-carrier 46' the lattermoves toward the raceway and reaches the position shown by Fig. 5 in time to receive the hook before the latter has lost the support of the raccway.

The plunger 48 now descends to insert the hook, the front vertical edge 7 7 of the plunger (S9 having a depth sufficient to maintain contact with the neck ofthe hook pleinental member 70 that defines one side until the latter is clenched as shown by Fig.

2. This figure shows an article of work l0 such as a shoe upper comprising two layers The work lies on the worksupport 11 and is under continuous pressure by a presser-foot 12. The barrel portion of the hook, while passing through the work 10, surrounds the pilot portion 2l of the clenching tool 14, the latter having previously been raised to cause the pilot portion 21 to punch a hole in the work. The barrel portion of the hook therefore encounters the clenching tool 14 and is clenched, as shown by Fig. 2, by the downward movement'of the plunger 48 while the clenching tool remains stationary. The plunger 48 remains at its lowest position while the hook-carrier 46 is moved horizontally to clear the throat of the clenched hook, but before the hookcarrier starts to execute this lateral movement the clenching tool 14 is lowered sufficiently to relieve the clenching pressure. Notwithstanding such relief of pressure it frequently happens that the hook-carrierhas a small component vof pressure on the ,barrel ortion of the hook during that period Y when t e carrier is moving laterally to clear .the throat of the hook, and although the presser-foot -12 tends to maintain the Work against lateral displacement it is efectlve only at one .side of the setting locality. .Ac-

cordingly one of the novel features of the present invention consists in an auxiliar presser-foot 125 arranged to clamp the wor t at the opposite side of the setting locality with reference lto the main presser-foot 12..

The presser-foot 125 is formed with a ,stem 126 and is arranged to slide in a boss 127. ATo provide for removing the member 125 periodically from nthe path of feeding movement of the clenched hook and at the same time to avoid complicating the machine with special mechanism for this pur'-- pose I prefer to attach the auxiliary presserfoot to the plunger 48. Accordingly the boss 127 is formed on theplunger 48. A compression spring 129 exerts downward pressure ou the shoulder 130 of the stem 126 to furnish the pressure by which the work is clamped against' the work-support 11. The upper endof the stem 126 projects above the boss 127 and is threaded to take binding nuts' 131, the latter being adjustable to regulate the initial position-of the member 125 relatively to the hook-carrier. In practice the 1nember-1`25 will be so adjusted that it will engage the work before the barrel portion of 'the hook has passed throught the latter.

" Consequently the member 125 will remain stationary during the latter stages of downward movement. of thehplunger 48 and the compression` of the spring 129 will be increased. The work will therefore be secleric iing locality as shown by Fig. 2 during l. the inserting and clenching of the hook and also while the hook-carrier is moving laterally to clear the throat of the clenchedhook. Also, durmg the first stages of upward y movement of the plunger 48 the member 125 will maintain its clamping action on the work, the extent of lost motion between the nuts 13.1 and the boss 127 determinin the point 1n the upward movement o the plunger 48 at Awhich. the member 125 releases the work. A The upward travel of the plunger V48 1s sufficient to raise the member 125 well above. the level of the head of the lclenched hook, and since the machine. is or anized to cause the punching element 21 to eed the work ,periodically from right to 'left' the hook may pass under the member 125 lwithout interference. y

Instead of relying upon the force of gravity to advance the eadin'g hook in the raceway to the position indicated `at 68 in 4, I have provided an improved hook-se arator and feeder 117 which advances the eading one and temporarily rtrains the ially remaining hooks by engagement w-ith the' barrel portion of the second hook. The' member 117, as shown is in the form of a plateand Vhas a wedge-shaped 4extremity adapted-to enter between the barrel portions of the first and second hooks. The Aedge 118 is parallel to the lines of movement of the device and is therefore adapted to obstruct the ath of the remaining hooks without forcing them back or .otherwise disturbing their positions in the raceways. To provide for the necessary movement of the member 117 withoutk complicating the machine by the addition of special mechanism for that purpose I prefer. to attach said member to the grooved head at the forward end of the horizontally movable plunger 78 from which the hook-carrier 46 receives its horizontal ino-- tions.. The member 117 is therefore provided with a tubular body vportion 119 through which an attaching screw 120 'extends, the forward end of said screw being screwed into av hole tapped in the rear side of the head of the plunger 78 as shwn 'by Fig. 4. A compression spring 121 is seated against the head ofthe screw 120 and exerts its pressure against the member 117 to maintain the latter normally against the rear face of the plunger head, thespring constituting.

a yielding connection adapted to afford lost motion s'o that the member 117 may be arrested without causing breakage or bending'- of the parts while-the plunger 78 continues -to move forward. For example, when the .hook-carrier 46 is moved laterally to clear the throat of the clenched hook the pointed end of the member 117 passes under the raceway strip 61 and enters between the barrel portions of the first and' second hooks. At this time the irst hook is against the transferring member69 as shown byFig. 5, and cannot move to the right.` The first hook there- I fore arrests the member 117, but such arresting is only temporary becausewhile the Aplunger 78 is moving forwardl the transferring member 69 moves backward and releases the first hook. When such release occurs the spring 121 reacts and impart-s further advance movement to the member 117, thereby causing the latter, by its wedging action on 'the barrel portion of the first hook, to shift the latter into the angle of the raceway where it liesin the path of the member 69. The 'separated hook is thus moved to the position indicated at 68 in Fig. 4 at which position it is arrested by a stationary member 70. The capacity of the member 114 to yield also f guards against bending .or breakage of the parts' in case an imperfect hook or an improperly positioned hook -resists the forward movement of said member in some abnormal fashion.

The clenching tool 14 is carried by a vertically movable plunger "15 and stands inibelowfthe .levelof the .worksupport 11- and" i.n'register with a punch-block 22. To

. place an article of work in position to receive`lacing-hooks the operator first raises the plunger 23 manually. This plunger carries the punch-block 22 and the presser-foot 12. Having placed the work in the desired position he releases the plunger 23 which is automatically lowered and maintained rigidly in the position shown by Figs. l and 2, the punch-block being then slightly above the work and occupying a recess formed in the presser-foot 12. A spring-stressed device maintains the pressure of the presser-foot 12 on the work continuously so long as the plunger 23 is in its lowest position. Un starting the machine the plunger 15 rises to project the punching element 21 through a slot 13 in the work-support and through the aforesaid notch or cavity in the presser-foot l2, said punching element rising until it has passed through the work and is engaged by the punch-block. The mechanism for operating the plunger 15 then relieves the pressure against the punch block and maintains the punch 2l in the work 'While automatic work-feeding mechanism causes the plunger 15 to move from right to left. The feeding movement ends when the clenching tool is in vertical register with the hook supported by the hook-carrier 46, and the tool then has a period of rest during which the hook is inserted and clenched as herenbefore eX- plained.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l l. In a machine for setting lacing hooks, a hook-sustaining member adapted to occupy the throat of a hook during the setting operation, a raceway arranged to supply hooks to said member, a reciprocatory operating 4member engaging said hook-sustaining lmember to move the latter out of the throat of the set hook, and a hook-separator carried by said operating member to separate a hookv in the raceway from those behind it.

2. In a machine for setting lacing hooks, a hook-sustaining member adapted to occupy the throat of a hook durin the setting operation, a raceway arrange to supply hooks to said member, a reciprocatory operating member engaging said hook-sustaining member to move the latter out of the throat of the set hook, and yielding means carried by said operating member to separate a hook in the raceway from those behind it.

3. In a machine .for setting lacing hooks, a

vracevva for suppl ing lacing hooks a hooksustaining membeir7 adapted to oecupy the throat of a hook during the setting operation, said member being movable to transfer the hook from the raceway to the Work and being movable laterally to clear the throaty of the set` hook, a reciprocating operating member engaging said liook-sustaining memfrom those behind it and to move said hook into register with said transferring means.

5. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising a hook-setting member adapted to occupy the throat of a lacing hook, a raceway arranged to supply hooks to said member, means arranged to transfer a hook from the raceway to said member, an operating member engaging said setting member to move it laterally out of the throat of the set hook, and yielding means carried by said operating member to arrest all the hooks in the raceway excepting the leading hook and to move the latter into register With said transferring means.

6. A machine for "setting lacing hooks comprising a hook-setting member adapted to occupy the throat of a lacing hook, a racevvay arranged to supply hooks to said member, means arranged to transfer a hook fr om the raceway to said member, an operating member engaging said setting member to move it laterally out of the throat o f the set hook, and a wedge member carried by said operating member to move the leading hook in the raceway into register with said transerring member.

7 A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising a hook-inserting member, a raceway arranged to supply lacing hooks thereto, the delivery end of said raceway being stationary and .having an angle to change the direction of travel of the hooks, means arranged to arrest the second hook at the supply side of said angle and move the first hook into the angle, and means arranged to transfer the latter said hook from said angle to .saidvhook-inserting member.

8. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising a'worli-support, a hook-setting member, a carrier by whichy said member is carried toward and from the yvork, and a presserfoot arranged to be o rated by said carrier to clamp vthe v'vor .i against said work-support.v

9. A machine for 'setting' Facing hooks 'comprising a work-support, a hook-setting member, a carrier by` which said member is f* carried toward and j from the Work,A and a presserfoot carried by said carrier toclamp l the Work against said Work-support.

10. A machine for setting lacing hooks presserfeet being operated by said member.

12. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising work-supporting means, means for feeding the work, a presserfoot arranged and operated to engage the work intermittently, a presserfoot arranged to engage the work continuously, and a hooksetting member adapted to occupy the throat of the hook and movable laterally to clear the throat of the set hook while the work is held by both of said presserfeet.

13. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising work-supporting means, two relatively movable presserfeet spaced apart from each other and arranged to coact withl said means to clamp the work, and mechanism arranged to set a hook between said presserfeet.

lll. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising work-supporting means, two relatively movable presserfeet spaced apart from' each other, mechanism arranged to set a hook between said presserfeet, said mechanism including a hook-carrier adapted to occupy the throat of the hook and movable laterally to clear the throat while the work is held by both of said presserfeet.

15. A machine for settinglacing hooks comprising work-supporting means, two relatively movable presserfeet spaced apart from each other and arranged to coact with said means to clamp the work, and mechanism arranged to set a hook between said presserfeet, said mechanism including a member movable toward and from the work, one of said presserfeet being arranged to be operated by said member.

16. A hook-setting machine comprising mechanism for setting lacing hooks, means for feeding the work, and a presserfoot, said setting mechanism including a hookengaging tool and a carrier for moving it tow-ard and' from the work, and said presserfoot being carried by said carrier and arranged to engage the work in the feedpath of the set hook.

17. A hook-setting machine comprising mechanism for setting lacing hooks head up, means for feeding the work, and a presser-foot, said setting mechanism including .a setting tool adapted to occupy the throat of the hook and a carrier for moving said tool toward and from the work, and said presserfoot being carried by said carrier and arranged to engage the work in the .feed-path of the head of the set hook.

18. A machine for setting lacing hooks comprising a work-support, means for feeding the work to space the hooks, a hookinserting member, a recprocatory carrier for the latter, and a presserfoot arranged to cooperate with said work-support and to be operated by said carrier to clamp the work between feeding steps.

19. A machine for setting lacing hooks` comprising a work-support, means for feeding the work to space the hooks, a hookinserting member, a reciprocatory carrier for the latter, and a presserfoot carried by said carrier and arranged to cooperate with said work-support to clamp the work between feeding steps.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PERLEY GLASS. 

